The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
Blakeson has aimed for a grand crime drama, but it's his simplicity that impresses.
A low-budget but expertly-shot first feature from J. Blakeson, this British film evokes the likes of Shallow Grave, but without the flair and gleeful masterstrokes of Danny Boyle's debut.
A stagey thriller with only three cast members, writer/director Blakeson shows more promise with a camera than with a pen. Former Bond girl Gemma Arterton is riding the crest of a wave so far, and took on this challenging role inbetween Prince Of Persia and Clash Of The Titans. She plays the Alice of the title, a millionaire's daughter, gagged and bound to a bed in a soundproofed flat in an initially disturbing scene. Her captors are Vic and Danny, who in the opening credits are silently and methodically preparing the room. In charge is Eddie Marsan's old kidnapping pro Vic, who barks orders at Martin Compston's nervous Danny. With the age-old premise of a ransom demand, Alice Creed unveils itself as a different beast altogether - a battle of wills between the trio of characters, with motives blurred.
Blakeson stated that he wanted a film to focus on the relationship between the kidnappers in a ransom situation, and the scenes between Vic and Danny are successful when the plot isn't being as clever as it thinks it is. The extraordinary, multi-layered Marsan is harsh, scary, tender, vulnerable and always believable. Sweet Sixteen star Compston is the baby-faced villain who starts to show cracks, and is immensely watchable as the film unfolds. With the premise that nothing is what it seems, the power play between the men is where the tension lies, even when absurdities arise. Unfortunately, Arterton is a dud note. We know we are watching something where all is not what it seems, but her substandard acting throws you off for all the wrong reasons. To be fair to Arterton, it's a relatively limited role, relegated mainly to crying and struggling - this she does quite well. Give her some exposition and it falls to pieces.
Blakeson has aimed for a grand crime drama, but it's his simplicity that impresses. The callous moments of holding a woman prisoner stand out, and the meticulous behaviour of Vic raises Alice Creed a notch above most crime thrillers. Not exploitative in any sense of the word, with the violence and nudity in context, it's only the final act that lets it down, with Blakeson bottling out of any sense of originality in his conclusion.
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